The Edmonton Oilers should be looking to add to their roster during the offseason. The 2025-26 season was certainly disappointing for the Oilers, as they struggled with consistency and lost the first round of the playoffs to the Anaheim Ducks. With this, the Oilers have some roster needs to address if they hope to have more success during the 2026-27 season.
One specific area that the Oilers should be aiming to improve is their defensive group. It is clear that their defense was far too shaky this season, so bringing in some more depth on the blueline should be one of the Oilers’ top goals of the summer.
Because of this, the Oilers are now being urged to bring back one of their former defensemen this offseason if he ends up hitting the free agent market.
Oilers Urged to Reunite With Defenseman Vincent Desharnais In NHL Free Agency
In a recent article for The Athletic, Allan Mitchell discussed a handful of free agents who the Oilers should consider signing this offseason if they are available on July 1. Perhaps the most interesting free agent that Mitchell brought up was former Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais.
“Vincent Desharnais is a giant defenceman originally drafted by the Oilers. He came to the NHL with Edmonton and had real success as a third-pairing enforcer who helped his team outscore opponents at five-on-five. He can also penalty kill. Desharnais would be a worthy target and wouldn’t break the bank,” Mitchell wrote.
With the Oilers needing help on their right side and Desharnais being a player that they already know well, it would make sense if Edmonton considered bringing him back this offseason. He would give them another solid option to work with for their bottom pairing, which is one of their needs right now.
Desharnais appeared in 53 games this season with the San Jose Sharks, where he recorded one goal, six assists, seven points, 68 penalty minutes, 83 blocks, and 103 hits. With numbers like these, the 6-foot-7 blueliner would once again be a solid shutdown defenseman for the Oilers if signed.
Oilers Should Be Looking to Improve More Than Just Their Blueline
While bringing in a defenseman like Desharnais would have the potential to benefit the Oilers, they have other roster needs that they must address this offseason as well. One of their biggest needs is adding a starting goaltender, as Tristan Jarry has struggled since being traded to Edmonton. They also would be wise to add a scoring winger and a potential upgrade for their third-line center spot.
With this, there is no question that the Oilers are going to be a team to watch incredibly closely during the offseason. With the Oilers being in their Stanley Cup window with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their primes, Edmonton should be working very hard to bolster their roster during the offseason.
It will now be interesting to see if the Oilers end up bringing back Desharnais this summer. While he would not be the flashiest of additions, he would help improve one of Edmonton’s top roster issues.
Oilers Urged to Reunite With 6-Foot-7 Tough Guy In Free Agency